RC's Daily Notes 2025: For the Week of 3/24-3/30 (The Week That Was)

: R.C. Fischer; FreeView; 30 March 2025

RC's daily streaming notes on football, and other, things going on this week...

Just an open page for me to drop notes/ideas/things I'm hearing/seeing/working on or just caffeinated or lack of sleep thoughts on football items.

SUN 3/30

(8:11amET)

-- Follow up to yesterday’s Cam Skattebo 40-time note...

Dane Brugler is reporting the Skattebo official private workout 40-time was 4.65. I hand timed it around 4.56 average...with a high of 4.60. But hand times from bad angle cellphone video can be tricky/error filled. So, I can buy that it looks like he runs in the 4.6s rather than 4.5s.

All of this news is not helping the Skattebo draft case...whether that’s justified or not, the 40-time rules for a lot of personnel departments. I think Skattebo’s personality is also not going to help him, but that may just be me.

-- An interesting aside from a The Athletic article on Travis Hunter, and his passion for fishing...

A clip from that article:

“I don’t know if people know this,” Gore said. “He likes football. He loves fishing. And he loves good barbecue.”

Even as life around Hunter grows more crowded, fishing remains a constant. A simple pleasure. A mental escape. A dream.

“If he wasn’t Travis Hunter the Heisman Trophy winner, I would almost guarantee that he would either be a huge social media fishing star or fishing at the highest levels,” said Jose Cinco, who has appeared on Hunter’s podcast “The Travis Hunter Show” to discuss fishing. “He’s just that passionate about it.”

There’s a split verdict among the community of fishermen who have seen him do both on what Hunter is more skilled at — catching footballs or fish. It turns out, Hunter might have a clearer answer for that.

“He was in the middle of landing a fish, and I joke around a lot, so I said, ‘Are you better at offense, defense or bass fishing?’” remembers Chuck Pippin, who fished with Hunter twice on the Butler Chain of Lakes outside of Orlando.

“He quickly answered bass fishing. That’s his passion.”

-- *FFM App notification system is being updated/worked on this week, so pop up notifications are down/hit & miss. You can see when we post something on the App still, by checking it via: See the Upper Left Menu (three lines) on App home page, click it, then click Profile, then click ‘Push notifications’ – and you’ll see all the alerts/notifications we’ve ever sent in chronological order.

-- OK, there’s a DT prospect that weighed in at 464 pounds at his Pro Day and put up 36 reps on the bench press...which is insane. Desmond Watson of Florida.

A 5.93 40-time is not good, traditionally, but what is the precedent for a 464-pound DT? How fast do you need him to move? I don’t know that I want him to move from clogging up the middle.

I’ve seen Desmond Watson work on tape, while scouting other players...he definitely stands out. He’s not a joke either...he’s got a good effort/motor. I will be evaluating whether a full scouting report is warranted this cycle but how could it not be?

https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/article/floridas-desmond-watson-surprises-nfl-scouts-with-464-pound-weigh-in-incredible-strength-at-pro-day-150453081.html

-- TV Series ‘March Madness’...

(same intro) OK, here we go...my personal TV series March Madness (16 teams/shows). I’m gonna pit two of these shows against each other every day until we get down to the final one left standing that will lay claim to BEST TV SERIES I’VE EVER WATCHED!

What am I basing my ‘choices’/the winners on? Lots of things...how good the show was/how good I remember it (so recency bias is gonna play a factor, even if I don’t want it to)...the acting, the writing/dialogue...the way it was filmed...would I watch it again and enjoy it just the same or maybe even more (and on some of them I have watched episodes or the series again in recent years).

--------------------

Second round matchup #2...and this matchup has no real theme to it like the other Elite 8 matchups kinda do. The odd-ball matchup of Breaking Bad vs. Curb Your Enthusiasm.

You couldn’t find any two different style/types of shows to try and discern a favorite between...maybe the top comedy TV series, for me, of all time...in that ‘on purpose’ comedy/sitcom type genre versus the drama and complexity of Breaking Bad. Hard to find a path to compare such unrelated genres, but...

I’m not going to waste a ton of time with this one because it was super-easy to decide: Breaking Bad is the obvious winner. One of the elite TV shows of all-time is gonna knock off a sitcom no matter how good that sitcom was.

Tip of the cap to Curb...Larry David had his hand in two of my 16 shows (Curb and Seinfeld), but Bryan Cranston can retort with being in THREE of my top 16 shows...Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul AND he was Larry David’s therapist in Curb Your Enthusiasm. I guess that was the connection on this all along...the Cranston crossover.

And make it four connections to my top 16 for Cranston if you count the fact that he directed at least one episode of The Office!

Let me add a 5th Cranston reference, but one not in my 16/tourney -- I just started up the Apple TV+ show ‘The Studio’, where Bryan Cranston has a part in it...and he’s great as always. That show is good so far...two episodes in. Some great comedic actors in that show...but I’m sketchy/up-and-down on Seth Rogen projects -- but so far, so good.

Anyway, Breaking Bad moves on!

The Elite 8: The Chosen, Severance, Stranger Things, This Is Us.

Onto the Final Four: Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad

-- Coming up on FFM today...

*Next scouting report will publish today.

*Daily Dynasty Briefing videos will be on pause this week...trying to catch up from a week of travel. I’ll catch up to them ASAP.

*Best Ball top 600 and top 600 Dynasty updated this past Sat. 3/29. Next update will be around 4/4 +/-.

*IDP top 500 will debut in early April with the top 50+ rookies at the debut, working towards 100+ IDP rookies there as well. Getting closer to finished but not likely to hit a March end deadline.

*Positional NFL Draft Scouting Grades (1.0 versions) will continue to post over the next few weeks...grading on the prospects we have enough information to run the first wave of scouting model grades. Those boards will be updated daily/weekly up into the NFL Draft, and post-Draft...with more data coming in over the summer and additionally re-graded after we scout players in the preseason.

***For those into playing DFS or Best Ball style tournaments for prize money, we have Promo Code (FFM) for matching funds deposited with our friend, The Podfather and Playerprofiler for their new tournament prize drafting App FastDraft.

Link to learn more and get the Promo Code: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/5363-upcoming-rc-interview-video-who-what-why-ff-contest-promo-code

I think FFMers could do quite well in the unique contests they have…especially jumping on things early, ahead of the curve -- like the all-Rookie (2025 class) FF draft/lineup contest and the D-Up/all IDP Best Ball tournament play. They are trying to bring unique game play to the DFS/Best Ball draft world, I think you might enjoy.***

*TWO NOTES OF INTEREST* On the FastDraft App/prize tournaments...

1) The FFM Promo Code opportunity has now been doubled by FastDraft for a stretch of time...matching funds of +$50 when you deposit $50 when you use the promo code FFM.

2) Also, there is a free to enter contest just opened on FastDraft...it’s an abbreviated Best Ball type draft...open for a limited time.

And note... The ‘all rookies’ tournament/prize contest ‘Origins’ closes April 24th...it’s a pre-Draft contest/battle of rookie scouting skills, so a great opportunity to try and take advantage using your rookie research.

**The FREE FFM APP (notes for those who have not signed up yet...)

-- The App is NOT automatically set up to recognize your FFM site credentials (username/password).

-- Sign up for the App as if you’re brand new to FFM...it’s a separate ‘thing’/brain from the site. You can use your same exact username/password signing up for the App, to keep it easy for you to remember.

-- Enable the App notifications to get a notification sent to your device when key reports are posted, and/or (especially) in-season when we get inside info/intel from sources before anyone else and it might be news we all need to FF-act on quickly before the world finds out.

-- App tip #1 (FYI): Upper Left (three lines) on App home page, click it, then click profile, then click ‘Push notifications’ – and you’ll see all the alerts we’ve sent in chronological order. App tip #2 (FYI)...if you see things posted but you got no device notification, but you are enabled for notifications…go to your phone’s ‘Settings’>Apps>FFM App>Click the Notifications off then on…like a reboot. I don't know why this works but it does to kick the phone back into business.

SAT 3/29

(8:23amET)

-- Cam Skattebo ran a 40-yard dash in a private workout, we got the cellphone video of it. It’s been reported as anywhere from a 4.52-4.57 time...with some saying it was a 4.6+. I did a hand recording of it, and I was in the 4.53-4.58 range 4.56 average time of five attempts to hand time it by me, which could be a 4.57-4.60 if you allow for the hand-time bump/error that happens because human fingers cannot get the first move timed right.

That’s a solid enough/OK speed/time...doesn’t help his case/draft stock but doesn’t kill it dead either. I knew he wasn’t a speedster from his tape. I hope we get a shuttle and three-cone time...it’s his agility that intrigues me (as a good attribute). We likely will not/never get that.

We also probably won’t know what Skattebo weighed to run 4.55+. The beautiful thing about skipping all the official events and just doing a private thing...he could’ve dropped 5-10+ pounds just to run that 40-time in private. I’m not saying he did, but it’s been done before. Most notably Elijah Mitchell was like 215+ pounds at the Senior Bowl, then was low 200s at the Combine a month+ later to run in the 4.3s...then popped back up to 210+ in the pros (going from memory on which event he weighed differently but he did have a radical change in weight to run his surprising 40-time).

-- Random FFM notes on things coming up that I’ve been talking to folks about...

1) Our official 2025 Dynasty Rookie Draft rankings 1.0 will hit soon after the actual NFL Draft (Saturday). We start out with a top 50 or so first reaction (Sunday). We build it to a top 100 or more (Monday), as we get the key UDFA signings. By the end of the week after the NFL Draft, our DRD rankings will be a top 250-300...which includes IDPs. We update the DRD rankings weekly up to NFL opening day.

2) After the NFL Draft, we start my month long (May) work on the 2025 Draft Guide top 600 with (eventually) 400+ player commentaries and several reports that go with the Draft Guide. The release date of the big Draft Guide package of reports will be early/1st-half of June. And we update that at a minimum weekly up to opening week.

3) After the Draft Guide launches, we get to work on our Devy series...looking at the top prospects in college for next year’s draft. Those reports begin in July and run daily throughout the month.

4) REWIND reports are our look back scouting on an NFL player’s season prior...to try and gain some insight on their upcoming season. I am putting the list of ‘curiosities to study’ together as I go, and they will report out as their completed. One of the next REWIND’s will be Anthony Richardson and Will Levis, for obvious reasons...but I’ll likely look at the entire 2023 top QB draft group -- Bryce Young’s real or fake rise late last season and ‘what’s up’ with C.J. Stroud.

5) ‘Betting’ Subscribers who took advantage of the Discord access for that group...FYI, news reports we come across or were sent of interest or other members post of interest are posted on there randomly/daily, if interested in checking in on them. I encourage anyone to post anything interesting for the group in the ‘offseason-discussions’ thread/area.

-- TV Series ‘March Madness’...

--------------------

Second round starts today. The Elite 8. And I think I have smart/intriguing pairings on each of the four games this round. Well, actually three savvy matchups and one odd-ball one.

Today’s matchup: Better Call Saul vs. Suits.

The connection here is ‘a battle of legal-based shows’. Suits took place almost exclusively in a law firm. Better Call Saul had a lot to do with Jimmy McGill’s journey to being/becoming a corrupt lawyer ‘Saul Goodman’.

For me, this one isn’t much of a battle. I respect Suits, and it was a really well-done, well-acted series...that lost steam when it lost ‘Mike’ from the show near the end -- but still it was so good. But Better Call Saul was so special on so many different levels that it moves on to the Final Four. I plan to watch Better Call Saul again, maybe even this summer...but as much as I enjoyed Suits, I will likely never watch it again. Suits was great...Better Call Saul was poetry...it is still poetry.

I do want to give it up to Louis Litt from Suits...one of the best characters of all time, and he doesn’t get the national credit he deserves really. There may be a ‘My Personal Best TV characters’ tourney in 2026...my son is pushing me to do so. Suits could spring 2-3 characters into that tourney. Respect for Suits...but Better Call Saul moves on.

The Elite 8: Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Chosen, Breaking Bad, Severance, Stranger Things, This Is Us.

Onto the Final Four: Better Call Saul

-- Coming up on FFM today...

*Next scouting report will publish today -- Jaxson Dart.

*Daily Dynasty Briefing videos will be on pause for the next week while I have to travel some in the next week. I’ll catch up to them ASAP when I’m fully back and not having to turn around and leave again. A crazy week this week.

*Best Ball top 600 and top 600 Dynasty updated this past Friday 3/21. Next update will post today.

*IDP top 500 will debut in late March/early April with the top 50+ rookies at the debut, working towards 100+ IDP rookies there as well.

Link to learn more and get the Promo Code: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/5363-upcoming-rc-interview-video-who-what-why-ff-contest-promo-code

**The FREE FFM APP (notes for those who have not signed up yet...)

-- The App is NOT automatically set up to recognize your FFM site credentials (username/password).

FRI 3/27

(7:46amET)

*FFM App notification system is being updated/worked on this week, so pop up notifications are down/hit & miss. You can see when we post something on the App still, by checking it via: See the Upper Left Menu (three lines) on App home page, click it, then click Profile, then click ‘Push notifications’ – and you’ll see all the alerts/notifications we’ve ever sent in chronological order.

-- Ashton Jeanty’s Pro Day was Wednesday, and as I would’ve expected -- he did nothing at that event.

A few years ago, prospects skipping everything (Combine AND Pro Day) was a heresy, a draft stock hit...unless they were injured. But now, skipping the Combine is like bowing out of meaningless bowl games for prospects heading to the pros -- it’s almost like you suck if you play in your bowl game or ‘lower’ yourself to actually doing stuff at the Combine...it means you’re a commoner to do these things.

If I were an agent, and I had a top 100 type prospect, I’d only let them do something timed, pre-Draft, if they were a LOCK to shine doing it (and I’d know from all their pre-Draft daily workouts at the various training sites they pay to attend). If I were the agent of a top 50 prospect...there’s almost no way I would let them do anything timed pre-Draft...I wouldn’t let them waste themselves prepping for 3+ months to run a track & field event 2x in a day, and then never again. I’m not risking an injury in training or doing the drill, etc.

We had top prospects start skipping meaningless bowl games 5+ years ago. Then skipping the Combine soon after (as well as head coaches starting to skip going to the Combine)...but 2025 looks like the year they’re also brazenly skipping doing anything at their Pro Days. The future of pre-Draft workouts is bleak. We’re probably 2-3 years away from the Combine being either cancelled or RADICALLY changed. It may end up just a weigh-in, measurements, medical check and meetings event ONLY. Guys who wanna run or bench press, etc., can do so in an untelevised session and we get the results reported out after.

This is going to make things very hard for part-time football scouts to really get their arms around a prospect they watch/study...without the context of watching them/studying prospects for 10-15 years AND watching/scouting 50+ at every position group to compare and contrast. It takes a lot of time to properly scout prospects. The ’10,000 hour rule’ is in play in scouting...but you may put in the time and still have no feel/knack for it...but time is a must. Time = experience.

And the analytics ONLY scouts/data guys...their draft scouting/metrics are going to be rendered DOA soon. It’s already heading there now -- you can’t run ‘real’ comparisons on Ashton Jeanty, when he has done nothing to have the data on to run strict data comparisons.

As much as I want the workout data to run my analytics, etc., I’m really willing to go about things ‘blind’ to the workout numbers and let this become a universal battle of the best tape scouts. I love my chances in that arena.

The next era of NFL scouting analytics will be GPS speed based -- but we don’t have any history of that data to compare and contrast prospects. College football hasn’t gone to advanced things like that yet. It will take years before we see the major conference schools adopting/installing...then another few years before mid-majors install, and so on down the line to ‘Will FCS schools ever have it?’ Once installed to the major and mid-major conferences, it will take another few years, maybe 5+ years before we can find out if the GPS speed data has any trends to key in on.

Back to Jeanty...I would have really liked to have seen him do a 40-time and especially a three-cone. I have suspicions about his agility from my tape watching, but it helps to have the shuttle and three-cone to evaluate in the big picture (but it’s not a guarantee that having it leads anyone in the right direction either). But it’s gonna have to be all tape scouting, frame-by-frame estimates, etc.

The days of top prospects doing pre-Draft workout things are about to be extinct...and the extinction is underway now.

-- Interesting Cooper Kupp tidbit item, if you hadn’t seen it before: https://x.com/SharpFootball/status/1900216954155040991

-- The 2025 season of Betting Subscriptions will be opening up soon. We will let you know when. The draft, team and player prop betting are just starting to get underway -- but all the juiciness of the early jump on things will hit right after the draft...with prop bets on the rookies and better team bet opportunities once we see who got what rookies, etc.

However, NFL Draft props will start ramping up middle April into the Draft day itself. And I’ll have all my bets and intel on that posted for subscribers to see what I’m doing.

The Betting season is about to kick into high gear with the early opportunities!

We will let you know what/when the new subscriptions will be open in the next few days.

-- *TWO NOTES OF INTEREST* On the FastDraft App/prize tournaments...

1) The FFM Promo Code opportunity has now been doubled by FastDraft for a stretch of time...matching funds of +$50 when you deposit $50 when you use the promo code FFM.

2) Also, there is a free to enter contest just opened on FastDraft...it’s an abbreviated Best Ball type draft...open for a limited time.

More FastDraft details below on the daily notes.

-- TV Series ‘March Madness’...

--------------------

The last 1st-round matchup is a battle of the family shows: The Sopranos vs. This Is Us

Obviously, these are two very different ‘families’. We have the mafia family with The Sopranos...and the more traditional family setup with This is Us.

I think everyone knows The Sopranos...a show that tops many critics, and fans, #1 show of all-time list. This Is Us...I think people are aware of, but I don’t think anyone sees it as a top show of all time.

My pitch for these two shows...

The Sopranos, I finally watched the start-to- finish last year. I had seen random episodes over the years but I thought it was a bit cheesy...that wasn’t gonna hold up to the likes of Goodfellas or The Godfather, but once I finally watched start to finish -- I liked The Sopranos more than I expected too. James Gandolfini was terrific, of course...but I was impressed with the storyline kinda centering on the mindset of a mafia boss, his daily/normal struggles in that life and his attempts to make sense of it/seek counseling over it...it was really well done, a fresh twist from that perspective.

But, if we wanna judge a show on its ability to display compelling people/characters trying to deal with the normal ‘life curveballs’ -- I’m not sure there is a show that can touch This Is Us, in that regard. This show really was a masterpiece of storytelling with great acting over several well-acted characters.

Thinking about the two of them compared to each other...I liked The Sopranos...I looked forward to the next episode each season as I watched it...but I loved This Is Us...and could hardly stop watching episodes because they were so good show-to-show (I watched This Is Us start to finish about 2-3 years after the series had ended).

This would be considered an upset to many, but to me it isn’t even close...This Is Us wins, in a blowout for me.

OK, we’re done with the 1st-round/top 16. We’re on to the Elite 8, tomorrow.

The Elite 8: Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Chosen, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Suits, Severance, Stranger Things, This Is Us.

-- Coming up on FFM today...

*Next scouting report will publish today.

*Best Ball top 600 and top 600 Dynasty updated this past Friday 3/21. Next update planned for later this week (FRI/SAT).

*IDP top 500 will debut in late March/early April with the top 50+ rookies at the debut, working towards 100+ IDP rookies there as well.

Link to learn more and get the Promo Code: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/5363-upcoming-rc-interview-video-who-what-why-ff-contest-promo-code

**The FREE FFM APP (notes for those who have not signed up yet...)

-- The App is NOT automatically set up to recognize your FFM site credentials (username/password).

THU 3/26/2025

(4:30amET)

-- It’s a travel day back to the home office today, starting with a 4:30amET wakeup call to get ready for the journey ahead. I can’t wait to get back in the saddle for the next/final stretch all the way to the NFL Draft and beyond (the top 300 Dynasty Rookie Draft rankings 1.0 will drop ASAP, after the NFL Draft and UDFA period finalizes).

We posted an interesting deeper sleeper scouting report yesterday (Jacory Croskey-Merritt)...and as the Pro Day data comes rolling in, the more sleepers will be coming to the forefront from our computer models. It’s an exciting time over the next few weeks with the onslaught of data coming in, to sort through and interpret.

We’ll continue to scout these rookies past the NFL Draft as well...working on more reports all summer. The scouting never ends.

-- Because it’s a foregone conclusion that Tennessee is taking Cam Ward, the draft turns to Shedeur Sanders for the TV ratings/draft drama. The next few weeks are going to be Shedeur-mania...it’s the perfect storm for the NFL for TV purposes.

The NFL Draft TV show is ALWAYS built around the QB intrigue, because it’s what the fans respond to the most. And you take Shedeur’s aura/spotlight and combine it with the ‘Sanders family’ name/circus adding more ‘drama’ to all this -- it’s a beautiful ‘character’ for ratings. And then we have the secret sauce to it all -- we have the ‘where/when is he going to be drafted?’ debate...is it CLE...is it NYG...will he fall? No one really knows.

Brace yourself for all Shedeur-mania, all the time now...especially hot the week before the draft.

If the Browns are gonna take Shedeur...the NFL does NOT want them talking about it, nor do they want Tennessee to talk about taking Ward before the draft. The NFL wants the TV drama, which is totally understandable.

Ross thinks Shedeur is going to CLE...and if not, then he goes to NYG. Neither spot would surprise me...but I also think ‘the fall’ is on the table. We got a battle of competing thoughts...

1) Teams that are currently desperate for a QB, especially CLE, tend to chase QBs in a draft...so, Shedeur is gonna go early. But I do believe NYG is ‘out’ on Shedeur...at least early/at #3. Who knows who is in it if he falls deep.

QBs going early is typically the way things go in the NFL.

VS.

2) My feeling, from discussions with football people, all along...Shedeur is unwanted by most teams, because he is a mediocre talent that has a circus that he brings to the scene and the threat of Deion wanting to be that team’s new head coach, to coach his kid again. And with that...Shedeur is gonna fall to later in the 1st-round or maybe even into the 2nd-round.

Dallas is the prime team to save a falling Shedeur...Jerry doing Deion a favor AND setting up the next Dallas head coach in 1-2 years.

I can see either scenario #1 or #2 playing out.

Shedeur will be THEE main storyline for the next 4 weeks...and on Draft day, which is gonna be super intriguing when the draft starts.

I’ll be as intrigued as everyone will be, but I am so beyond tired of talking about it -- it’s a distraction from all the other amazing things this draft has to discuss. But I will be keeping up and discussing the soap opera known as Shedeur as I get any info...I can’t escape it or ignore it

-- I am working on an updated Mock DRD...taking my 2023 + 2024 rookies only mock draft (top 25)…the one I finished a couple of weeks ago but now integrating the 2025 rookies — as we know them now (pre NFL Draft). It should be publishing/starting (a 5-day series) in a few days.

It’s been a complicated puzzle to put together — because outside of Ashton Jeanty, I have no clue where/faith if the other 2025 rookies we love will land properly to give them great Dynasty value. With that said, I am thinking of just doing this new mock draft as if the 2025 rookies land safe/fine/neutral — because I want the spirit of it to be evaluating how strong (or not) this 2025 group of talent is compared to the existing situations.

I keep saying it…but it needs to be said -- clever Dynasty maneuvers and planning are essentially on hold until the actual NFL draft. It’s just the way this season is dictating…and it will be true, and even worse, next season.

The fastest way to get a feel for what our computer model thinks is the value/ranking of the 2025 rookies pre-draft -- just go to the dynasty top 600 report and filter the label column to just the ‘RK’ players.

That report is in a Google Sheet but can be into excel in two simple clicks (details on making it an Excel is on the top section of every ranking sheet we have).

-- *TWO NOTES OF INTEREST* On the FastDraft App/prize tournaments...

1) The FFM Promo Code opportunity has now been doubled by FastDraft for a stretch of time...matching funds of +$50 when you deposit $50 when you use the promo code FFM.

2) Also, there is a free to enter contest just opened on FastDraft...it’s an abbreviated Best Ball type draft...open for a limited time.

More FastDraft details below on the daily notes.

-- TV Series ‘March Madness’...

--------------------

OK, time for the battle of the Netflix mega series…Stranger Things v. Squid Game.

Both are series that I refused to watch when they debuted. I thought they both looked like things I wouldn’t be interested in…so I fought/resisted watching them. Watching them like a year or so after they were released — and then felt stupid for denying them initially but absolutely loved them right off the jump in their episode one.

Stranger Things was much better, much deeper than I expected. It’s not just a silly sci-fi type story. Great character development. Excellent continuity of storyline. Excellent production value.

Squid Game was even more shocking that I loved it. Dubbed in English dialogue threw me off for the first 10-15 minutes of the first episode...and made me want to give up on it, but it heated up quick and my mind adjusted to the dubbed voices and then I couldn’t binge the episodes fast enough with a surprise reveal ending Season One that I didn’t see coming.

Comparing them — I liked Squid Game a lot. And even liked the much-maligned Season Two…but Season Two couldn’t beat Season One. Whereas Stranger Things just got better season after season. Their last season was sensational. I cannot wait for this final season coming out soon...I hope.

I’m super-excited for the next season (the final season) of Stranger Things to drop. I honestly don’t care that passionately for the next season of Squid Game to be released (soon), so I think that makes my choice clear: Stranger Things moves on.

Still remaining to ‘play’ in the tournament:

Sopranos v. This Is Us

On to the Elite 8: Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Chosen, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Suits, Severance, Stranger Things

-- Coming up on FFM today...

*Next scouting report will publish today. Our first big ‘sleeper’ name report...an ‘off the grid’ prospect, at RB.

*Daily Dynasty Briefing videos will be on pause for the next week while I have to travel some in the next week. I’ll catch up to them midweek range when I’m fully back and not having to turn around and leave again. A crazy week this week.

*Best Ball top 600 and top 600 Dynasty updated this past Friday 3/21. Next update planned for later this week.

*IDP top 500 will debut in late March/early April with the top 50+ rookies at the debut, working towards 100+ IDP rookies there as well.

Link to learn more and get the Promo Code: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/5363-upcoming-rc-interview-video-who-what-why-ff-contest-promo-code

**The FREE FFM APP (notes for those who have not signed up yet...)

-- The App is NOT automatically set up to recognize your FFM site credentials (username/password).

WED 3/26

(8:24amET)

-- Well, the Jameis Winston era didn’t last long in New York...Russell Wilson is now a New York Giant as well.

A couple thoughts on this NYG signing on Tuesday...

1) I have no idea why Jameis Winston signed here if he knew NYG was going to be in the Russell Wilson business. Winston could’ve been a backup in so many different, better places.

2) Winston’s deal has a lot of incentives...that he’ll never get to without an injury to the starter...just like what would’ve happened if he signed anywhere to be a backup -- like in LAC, like in DEN...where teams wanted him weeks ago.

3) Kiss Jameis’s sneaky 2025 FF value good-bye...for now, and probably forever.

4) I can’t imagine the Giants are in the Shedeur Sanders sweepstakes anymore. The Giants are in the -- please save my career mode...for the GM and HC. Russ and Winston are QBs playing ‘for now’...that #3 pick in the draft will also be a player ‘for now’.

5) Seemingly, every other story I’ve seen lately has been how the Giants had scouts at every Colorado game – so that meant they secretly LOVED Shedeur all along and were now gonna take him at #3.

Ummm...nope.

6) The Giants had a presence at every Colorado game, supposedly...so wouldn’t they be authorities on Shedeur? And they just said...nope.

7) Couldn’t attending every Colorado game, by NYG personnel people, been for Travis Hunter...and not exclusively for Shedeur Sanders? Wouldn’t that make more sense?

8) All the ‘hints’ that Shedeur (and Deion) KNEW he was going to New York...nope.

9) I am looking forward to the next few days of articles where the media that is protecting Shedeur tries to make a case for NYG to really still be the likely ones drafting Shedeur...and how it makes a lot of sense because Russ is only on a one-year deal, etc.

That half-hearted effort to put Shedeur in NYG in mocks and opinion articles will last about 24-48 or so hours.

10) The rest of this week/news and pre-Draft news cycle, the Shedeur media promoters/protectors will now shift their efforts on the Browns HAVING to take him...if they know what’s good for them.

11) If Cleveland takes Shedeur, and leaves Travis Hunter to NYG...then ‘bravo’ GM (Sleepy) Joe Schoen. For landing Russ-Winston-Hunter.

12) If GM Sleepy Joe takes Abdul Carter instead of Hunter, he deserves the fate that awaits.

13) If the Browns ‘pass’ on Shedeur at #2...then it’s a Shedeur fall to #9 to the Saints, as a prediction...then to Dallas anywhere from #16 to #32 in the 1st-round...even if they have to trade into the late 1st-round, after using their first 1st-round pick on something else.

14) The odds Shedeur falls to the 2nd-round are increasing daily...but likely Dallas, among others, but mostly Jerry Jones, will save Deion the embarrassment and draft him in the 1st.

15) Russell Wilson + Jameis = good FF-news for Malik Nabers...stable QB play with a decent backup in an emergency.

16) Aaron Rodgers is likely headed to Pittsburgh, but if the Vikings swoop in and get Rodgers or he retires...then the Steelers will have Mason Rudolph and Jaxson Dart/Jalen Milroe as their QBs to lead the way in 2025...not good.

17) The X-factor QBs out there in the universe if Rodgers signs with Minnesota...Kirk Cousins and Will Levis.

Cousins to Cleveland has a lot of heat to it.

Levis traded to the Steelers...Pittsburgh may be forced into it. I think Levis in Pittsburgh is smart for the Steelers...he’s a Steelers kinda QB mentality. Levis to the Steelers pumps up Levis’s career and FF value/hopes. I just can’t imagine PIT obtains both of the Titans QBs from last season...but the Steelers are running out of options.

18) The only other QB available to discuss -- Anthony Richardson. The Colts are desperately trying to trade him and save face...and draft a QB on day two of the draft, while seeing if Daniel Jones can be a savior. Only no one wants in on Richardson...he may be the only QB more toxic to the media/fans than Will Levis.

-- *TWO NOTES OF INTEREST* On the FastDraft App/prize tournaments...

1) The FFM Promo Code opportunity has now been doubled by FastDraft for a stretch of time...matching funds of +$50 when you deposit $50 when you use the promo code FFM.

2) Also, there is a free to enter contest just opened on FastDraft...it’s an abbreviated Best Ball type draft...open for a limited time.

More FastDraft details below on the daily notes.

-- TV Series ‘March Madness’...

--------------------

How do you like the ‘meta’ rationale for today’s matchup: Severance vs. The Office?

The two most iconic ‘office worker’ shows ever, arguably. There have been many TV shows over the years where the action was based on people in the workplace, but Severance and The Office took the premise to a whole different level. And the viewership numbers would agree that they are arguably the two best ‘office’ shows of all time.

Severance is the current ‘it’ TV show in our nation, right now. More people have struck up random conversations about this show in public than any show I can ever think of. The passion for it is crazy/good. That’s ‘special’ when judging the effectiveness on how good a TV series is.

I watched the first 3-4 episodes of Severance season one, for the first time, a couple years ago and ‘didn’t get it’. I was almost about to give up on the series after the 4th episode of season one -- but I hung in and it took off from there. I just finished season two, like the rest of the world — and I have to say, Severance is a TV Show...but it is also a work of art. It is one of the most unique, captivating things I’ve ever seen presented on a television set.

But The Office is so good, so iconic, so clever and cutting edge for its time. Steve Carrell as Michael Scott would be in the top 16 tournament of most iconic tv characters of all time. I can put on any random episode of The Office right now and enjoy it. That’s a strong case for them to try to win this.

However, Severance really is a piece of storytelling art...and how many series can you ever say that about? I’m giving Severance the win for several reasons, but one sleeper reason that I recommend highly: I watched Severance season one for a second time, earlier this year, preparing for season two release -- and the second viewing of season one was so great after experiencing the first watch of it prior. On the second watch of season one, I was able to catch so many missed details the first time around. It was a sheer joy to watch season one a second time…like a whole other bonus show to watch. I enjoyed season one on a second watch through much more than the first watch through (but I also loved the first watch of it as well).

The season ending episodes of Severance season one and then season two were arguably the two greatest season ending episodes of any television show season ever.

I love and respect The Office, but I beyond love the beauty and art, and storytelling of Severance.

Still remaining to ‘play’ in the tournament:

Squid Game, Sopranos, Stranger Things, This Is Us

On to the Elite 8: Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Chosen, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Suits, Severance

-- Coming up on FFM today...

*Next scouting report will publish today. Our first big ‘sleeper’ name report...an ‘off the grid’ prospect, at RB.

*Best Ball top 600 and top 600 Dynasty updated this past Friday 3/21. Next update planned for late this week.

*IDP top 500 will debut in late March/early April with the top 50+ rookies at the debut, working towards 100+ IDP rookies there as well.

Link to learn more and get the Promo Code: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/5363-upcoming-rc-interview-video-who-what-why-ff-contest-promo-code

**The FREE FFM APP (notes for those who have not signed up yet...)

-- The App is NOT automatically set up to recognize your FFM site credentials (username/password).

TUE 3/25

(8:06amET)

-- I have no idea how high/where Tetairoa McMillan will go in the draft. But I do know there is an assassination attempt’ on his draft stock -- whether it is because people truly don’t like him/his talent...or whether it is a con job by teams drafting later to talk him down past #10...past #15, etc.

It could be that people have just decided ‘they don’t like him’, in football circles, because they’ve emotionally decided so...thus that vibe/sentiment gets pushed down to the fans. I give the NFL scouts, GMs, and analyst ZERO credibility when it comes to scouting anything...but especially when it comes to WRs. We need look no further back than last season when one of the greatest scouting frauds in the history of football was perpetrated on the industry and thus brainwashed down to the fans -- and that was with their ‘generational talent’ scouting on Marvin Harrison.

I said it last year, multiple times, and I’ll say it again -- no one in the industry, from professional to FF analyst can tell me they know anything about WR scouting if they really studied all the top 50-100 WRs, for all the past years, and their craft/experience led them to telling themselves, and everyone who would listen, that Marv was a ‘generational talent’. But NO one in the football industry thought Marv was anything short of a great WR prospect. But last year revealed that they were all wildly wrong in their Marv hivemind hoax...wrong in a long line of wrong about almost everything when it comes to scouting. The crime isn’t getting something wrong in scouting...no, the crime is constantly all of them thinking the same thing and a thing...and it constantly being wrong.

In the end, I really don’t think any of them really know what they’re doing in scouting. Just highlight watchers on the fly and succumb/submit to whatever direction the herd is roaming. Thus was the birth of ‘Moneyball’ in the MLB decades ago...part of the premise was...the scouts really don’t know anything more than a coin flip chance of being right on anything.

https://youtu.be/ugN5aD5p2NU?si=rv0K-OD2IVOW2_pj

So, when this current assault of negativity happens on Tetairoa McMillan...a WR prospect who is 5x the WR talent Marvin Harrison is...I am not fazed one bit by it, I don’t second guess myself when they turn negative on anything I think is excellent.

Look at this piece of garbage story (link below)...

Just read through this ‘report’/’take’ and then watch the Twitter video when you hit that part, turn your sound off prior because it’s the typical football highlights set to garbage, inappropriate music...just watch the 1+ minute video in the context of the headline of this report and the intro/body of the report they write is conveying. You should draw the same conclusion that I did -- about how colossally stupid/illogical this whole report was.

Either this reporter really believes what he wrote + really thinks the tape supports the premise...or it’s just a planned hit piece hoping people don’t really read the report or watch the tape...that the headline can do the damage. I don’t know how it could be a planned hit piece when no one even knows what ‘Athlon Sports’ even is? I think this was a ‘hot take’ moment that worked about as well as the Tesla protestor that tried to set cars on fire but accidentally set himself on fire.

https://athlonsports.com/college/arizona-wildcats/footage-of-travis-hunters-epic-duel-with-projected-first-round-pick-tetairoa-mcmillan-surfaces-before-draft

Actually, I am happy for this report...keep driving public perception down on Tet...please, feel free!!! Just don’t drive it down too far where he gets drafted in a bad FF place (like JAX), among others.

If this report did anything...it would have made me second guess being ‘pro’ Travis Hunter as a great CB, which was the 180 degree opposite of what the writer intended.

-- TV Series ‘March Madness’...

--------------------

Today, we go past the halfway point of the 1st-round of this TV Series tourney. Matchup #5 (of 8) is a battle of the (surprising) USA Network titans: Psych v. Suits.

There are two USA Network shows in my tourney of 16. Two entries into the field of 16, as does AMC have two (both the Breaking Bad universe shows, to be fair). Also, HBO has two.

The networks with the most top 16 shows (for me): Netflix with three (Ozark, Stranger Things, Squid Game) and NBC has two (The Office, This is Us, Seinfeld).

ABC and Amazon have none (among the big-name networks).

All these networks make sense/feel right...except...USA Network??? USA Network was a very underrated content creator to say the least. But Psych and Suits probably chief among them...and they had a few other strongly viewed/rated shows by the public like ‘Monk’, among others.

Psych is a really well done, clever dialogue crime-solving comedy...it was like a funny, adult Scooby Doo...a poor description by me that cheapens it, but I didn’t mean to. It really was a very clever, long-running show I used to watch with my whole family most every Friday night back when it was a current production.

During Psych, they used to advertise Suits...and I would quickly fast-forward through commercials and shut off Psych when it ended so as not to waste time seeing the first minute of Suits (on after Psych, some years). I had NO interest in Suits at all, but many years after Suits was done my wife randomly was looking for something to watch and she put Suits on and I happened to be going through the living room area to the kitchen to make some food and I was kinda watching it as I did my thing but I was hooked in by the first 2-3 minutes of the show...so, I sat down and watched the whole first episode and loved it...then I watched it all the way through, start to finish, last year. Talk about great dialogue and characters.

Psych will always have a special place in my heart for watching it as a family, but Suits was the far superior show concept, writing, and acting. So, in the battle of the USA Network shows...Suits wins.

Side note: So, I watched the new Suits reboot (Suits L.A.) the other day. I felt like I deserved to give it a shot because the original was so great. I made it through 20 minutes before my wife and I looked at each other and said, ‘this is terrible’ and shut it off, and I deleted the future recordings of it.

Still remaining to ‘play’ in the tournament:

Severance, Squid Game, Sopranos

Stranger Things, The Office (U.S), This Is Us

On to the Elite 8: Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Chosen, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Suits

-- Coming up on FFM today...

*Next scouting report will publish today.

*TE positional grades/rankings (of the TEs we have enough scouting and analytical data on)

*Best Ball top 600 and top 600 Dynasty updated this past Friday 3/21. Next update planned for late this week.

*IDP top 500 will debut in late March/early April with the top 50+ rookies at the debut, working towards 100+ IDP rookies there as well.

Link to learn more and get the Promo Code: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/5363-upcoming-rc-interview-video-who-what-why-ff-contest-promo-code

**The FREE FFM APP (notes for those who have not signed up yet...)

-- The App is NOT automatically set up to recognize your FFM site credentials (username/password).

MON 3/24

(7:12amET)

-- Light football news week, which is good...because I’m doing some travelling and taking a few meetings before we hit April. The draft will continue to heat up more and more every day of April into the pre-Draft week frenzy...and then the post-Draft mayhem trying to go through the fallout of it all.

So, I am going to answer a question here that a couple people have hit me up on recently...

The basic question/wondering is: Who is the great ‘go get’ guy in Dynasty right now? In other words, in my words (for those with me in 2023): Where is your magic trick up your sleeve to buy low and hit a homerun with...a la Rachaad White and Isiah Pacheco in the 1st-quarter of 2023?

It’s a great question. Last year, it was a Derrick Henry focused mission in th3 1st-quarter of 2024 (before free agency)...and we strongly pursued a super ‘buy low’ on Will Levis (which didn’t work out...yet). In 2023, it was the great Pacheco-Rachaad call. In 2022, it was to ‘SELL hot’ Kyler Murray and Diontae Johnson. I have been searching high and low for the great Dynasty call of early 2025...and so far, I got nuthin’...really. I have that one thing that I reported on right before free agency, but I don’t know that it’s a total Dynasty game-changing move like we’ve had the past few years...it’s something but not earth shattering. Go back and read the report if you missed it (from early March, pre-free agency). I don’t want to name the player here...it’s just for subscribers. I still think it’s a viable, cheap bet. Nothing really to lose, a lot to possibly gain.

The reason that I cannot find anything in the BUY LOW realm is...every player I get a feeling on or see the obvious gap of our valuation vs. the world’s valuation, I end up asking myself -- BUT WHAT IF THEY DRAFT _____? And then I cannot promote the notion because so many players could get their valuation blown up during the draft. This draft season is unique...it’s the NFL/FF tipping point of ‘too much talent’ in the league, and it has to go somewhere...and where it goes is gonna turn some depth charts and touch projections upside down across the FF landscape.

There are some things to nibble at...but I haven’t found that ‘thing’ yet.

But I will find things.

Soon.

You know when I will?

After the NFL Draft.

It’s just the way this year is ‘working’...and probably every calendar year on in now -- trying to find nuclear bomb ‘buy lows’ pre-Draft is gonna be near impossible. Too many moving parts via the Draft to make backfields into two- or three-man RBBCs...and to give #1 WRs another #1 WR talent working across from them, a target taker to whatever degree.

Imagine if Tet McMillan is drafted by the Jaguars...it torpedoes both Tet and Brian Thomas Jr.

How do you feel about Puka with Davante Adams there now? Nowhere near as solid as you thought prior to the Davante signing.

I have some advice on what I AM looking to buy now...and I will share that thought sometime this week. That’s a teaser.

-- *TWO NOTES OF INTEREST* On the FastDraft App/prize tournaments...

1) The FFM Promo Code opportunity has now been doubled by FastDraft for a stretch of time...matching funds of +$50 when you deposit $50 when you use the promo code FFM.

2) Also, there is a free to enter contest just opened on FastDraft...it’s an abbreviated Best Ball type draft...open for a limited time.

More FastDraft details below on the daily notes.

-- TV Series ‘March Madness’...

--------------------

Yesterday we had Breaking Bad's first matchup, so today let’s clear the decks of the BB universe by pitting Better Call Saul vs. 24.

Of all my 1st-round matchups that I cleverly concocted — this one has the least/no overt theme or subtle connection...this is the least clever...it’s kinda random.

The TV series 24 was so ahead of its time. From the way that it was shot and the amazing storylines for a season. For its time it was as good as TV drama could get. I want to tip my cap to this great TV show that would probably ‘hold up’ if you watched it again today.

I am tipping my cap to 24...on its way out the door, losing to Better Call Saul. BCS is a juggernaut in this tournament, but I do not know who is winning it all as I write this. I am literally taking it one matchup at a time to give the unbiased, internal reaction time of thinking they deserve. I love Better Call Saul, but I could say the same for this 16-team tourney...and especially I will say it about the Elite 8, when we get to it.

I don’t know how I’m going to pick a final winner...when this round is so tough to make choices in...tougher than I thought it would be.

Still remaining to ‘play’ in the tournament:

Psych, Severance, Squid Game, Sopranos

Stranger Things, Suits, The Office (U.S), This Is Us

On to the Elite 8: Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Chosen, Breaking Bad

-- Coming up on FFM today...

*Next scouting report will publish today.

*Xavier Cromartie’s next 1st-round mock draft.

*Best Ball top 600 and top 600 Dynasty updated this past Friday 3/21. Next update planned for late this week.

*IDP top 500 will debut in late March/early April with the top 50+ rookies at the debut, working towards 100+ IDP rookies there as well.

Link to learn more and get the Promo Code: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/5363-upcoming-rc-interview-video-who-what-why-ff-contest-promo-code

**The FREE FFM APP (notes for those who have not signed up yet...)

-- The App is NOT automatically set up to recognize your FFM site credentials (username/password).